This invention relates to a method of damping noises produced from a railroad, especially noises produced when trains travel on rails, and railroad noise damping members.
When a train travels on a railroad, noise is inevitably produced. In view of the public nature of the railroad transportation system, people living along railroads have been forced to tolerate high levels of noise.
But today""s high-speed trains tend to produce noises that are by no means tolerable to anyone. Noises produced from railroads are thus becoming a major social problem.
Railroads and subways produce noises from various parts thereof. For example, noises are produced when pantagraphs pass through the air or slide on electric cables. Air turbulance caused by unsmooth surfaces of trains is another cause of noises. Motors also produce noises. But by far the loudest noises produced from railroads are noises produced when wheels roll on rails, braking noises, squaking noises produced when trains are turning curves, and noises produced when wheels roll over rail joints.
But means are not yet known for preventing or suppressing such noises effectively, especially noises produced when wheels roll on rails. Thus, the growing noises are annoying people living along railroads.
An object of this invention is to provide a method for effectively damping noises produced when train wheels roll on rails.
Another object is to provide rail noise damping members.
According to this invention, there is provided a method of reducing noises produced from a railroad wherein a noise damping member is mounted on at least one side of a vertical rib of a rail so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the rail.
According to this invention, there is also provided a rail noise damping member comprising a noise absorbing member in the form of a strip and a covering member of an elastic material for enclosing the noise absorbing member.
Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: